Dana Gleason and Luke Buckingham at the Official Ribbon and Tie Cutting Ceremony!

Moving into a brand new building this January was quite the event!  We captured the three day process through the camera lens… it only took 10,369 photos stitched together to make this video!

Dana had more fun than should be allowed... check it out!

Did you win?!  Watch the video to find out!!!

Snowshoeing up to Fairy Lake with friends Nathan and Tim, along with two snow-loving and energetic dogs, Cassidy & Mac, we headed straight into the face of the Chinook winds.  I was glad to have the Naya Nuki pack upon my back keeping me warm, while also holding snacks & electrolyte drinks to keep me fueled for the long 4-hour trek ahead.  The wind-swept snowy road led us on a gradual hill climb winding our way towards the lake with views of both the Crazy mountains & jagged peaks of the Bridgers.  Stopping for a brief lunch break among a stand of trees, I was thankful for the momentary break from the gusty gale.  Sweet & sturdy Cassidy took shelter behind the resting Naya Nuki, which acted as a perfect wind block for her medium dog sized body.  Just a short drive north of town, the Bridger Mountains frame the backdrop of the Bozeman, Montana skyline.  An outdoor person’s year round playground, I was very excited about exploring the snowy trail to Fairy Lake that brought us closer to the heart of the range.  A range of many peaks for which a few of our Mystery Ranch packs are named.

The Naya Nuki pack, a sister to the Saddle Peak, being slightly shorter in height & named after the 9,449 foot tall peak adjacent to Sacagawea peak, is as tough & rugged as the brave girl who the pack is also named after.  As the legend goes, Naya Nuki, a young Shoshoni girl, was a close childhood friend of Sacagawea.  Both were kidnapped by a hostile tribe & forced into labor, but through her strong determination & will Naya Nuki escaped her captors & made the 1,000 mile trek back to her tribe.  As we continued our snowshoe journey, I was reminded of how variable & tough winter weather conditions can be in the mountains of SW Montana.  It is wise to expect anything & be able to brave whatever comes your way, with a solid pack, like the Naya Nuki on your back.

Earlier in the winter on a trip down to Jackson Hole, WY to visit a dear friend, Corrie, I found that the Naya Nuki is also the perfect snow pack for long distance classic skiing.  Our journey around the valley on classic skis & skate skis took us up Cache Creek, Teton Canyon, & then a full day traversing the inner park road in Grand Teton National Park where we did a point to point ski from Signal Mountain to the Bradley/Taggert trailhead in the shadow of the snowcapped Tetons.  On this trip the pack carried a full Camelback, snacks and an extra jacket, along with my camera in the side waist belt pocket.  The slim-lined pack hugs close to your back making it great for balance when on classic or skate skis as well as many other active sports. It wraps comfortably to your body & the weight is distributed well so that after many hours on the snow, I hardly noticed that I even had a pack on my back.  I realized that, once the pack was on my back, I never had to adjust or fidget with it during the long ski traverse.

Even for a quick couple hour Sunday classic ski jaunt in Hyalite Canyon, the Naya Nuki works well for short adventures.  On this particular exploration ski day, the pack was lightly filled & still made for easy mobility on the uphill & downhill whoop-de-dos.  The next weekend was a long distance roundtrip journey to Mystic Lake & back, up Bozeman Creek & the pack was filled to the brim holding snacks & extra jackets for the long day excursion, where the pack was shared & worn between my sister, Mimi, & I.  I have been pleasantly surprised with how versatile the Naya Nuki has been for various snow adventures this Winter. The pack is so aptly named & is the perfect pack for any distance or weather that comes your way during the long Montana Winters!

The entries have been received, the chads dimpled, ties settled with sewing machines at 20 paces and recounts recounted. We are proud to announce and showcase the winners of the 2011 Mystery Ranch photo and video contest. Congratulations to grand prize winners Ryan Krueger, Matthew Irving and KGB Productions and thanks to everyone who entered your unbelievably awesome photos and videos.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Skye Bear Designs earrings & felted wool recycled small purses by Erika next to Mimi’s wildlife & landscape art cards & prints.

Many of the employees are artistically creative and detail oriented, even outside of the usual workday. The “ranchers,” as Mystery Ranch employees are nicknamed, are a crew of artisans and craftspeople. Nearly every artistic discipline is represented by the current staff. One sews beautiful corduroy messenger hats and lined handbags, while another knits natural colored hats and mittens for the chilly Bozeman winters. A long-time rancher brews homemade beer, named Love Potion #9 and Nuttin’ but Trouble, while another sews decorative dog collars and baby onesies. Detailed and intricate threadwork are used to make tatted earrings and leather masks by a talented rancher along with her funky and fun sock animals, another keeps the 60’s style alive with her bright colored tie-dyed shirts. Another makes mini animal earrings adorned with glass beads and felted wool purses from recycled sweaters. Several painters are among the staff. One paints vibrant designs on delicate silk fabrics covering pillows and scarves. Colored pencil and ink drawings by another rancher brings alive an abstract world on paper, while another employee uses chalk pastels and colored pencils to capture the beauty and joy of wildlife and the natural landscapes that surround us. A newbie rancher is a potter who throws bowls and mugs glazed with hues of teal and green, while another is a wildlife and landscape photographer who shares the split seconds and action of nature through the observant eye of a camera lens. And we have an honest to goodness, rock hound who embodies the spirit of the West, hunting for gems and minerals in the Treasure State of Montana, the place Mystery Ranch calls home

Brigid’s messenger hats & handbags that can also be found at the Bogert Farmer’s Market in the Summer.

With a tremendous amount of talent among the ranchers and the Winter Holiday season around the corner, we decided to hold a Mystery Ranch Winter Arts & Crafts fair celebrating the festive season and supporting each other’s artistic talent at our soon-to-be new, larger location. The event coincided with our monthly employee social event, so holiday cookies, hot cider, hot chocolate and egg nog were served to the crew, along with friends and family. It was an exciting and successful evening, with 15 ranchers displaying their creative work.

Shoppers at Blake & Nic’s booth. Blake’s hand-sewn MR spinner logo ornaments were given to employees as a Winter Holiday thank you!

As the Winter holidays approach enjoy the peaceful time spent with loved ones and the gifts given and received. Thank you to our loyal fans and customers that believe in us wholeheartedly and support what we create!

Rock hunter Tom with his spread of local Montana minerals & gems.

Erika, Catey & Mimi displaying Catey’s tatted earrings.

Rainer’s tree of knit hats & mittens along with Ester’s colorful tie dyed t-shirts.

Emily’s hand-sewn dog collars & baby onesies.

Kaye’s hand painted silk pillows.

We have slated another run of the Golf Mahal to start the end of April. This means that bags will become available, hopefully, by mid-June and shipping by the end of that month.

There are 60 bags coming; 15 each in 4 different colors, 3 of which are new! We will continue to offer the bag in Multicam (a camouflage print made by Crye Precision), and will also offer:

- ACU (a digital camouflage pattern)
- Black with Foliage highlights (Foliage is a grey shade)
- Toxic Green with Foliage highlights

Pictures are included of the Golf Mahal built in ACU, Multicam, and Black/Foliage, but you’ll just have to wait to see the Toxic Avenger of Disc Golf Bags!

Yet again, a pre-order list has been started and names are pouring in. So, with only 15 bags of each color being made, make sure that you order sooner rather than later if a particular color strikes your fancy.

To pre-order all you have to do is call the Sales office at 406-585-1428 and put a credit card on hold. You will not be charged until the bag is shipped.

I want to thank everyone that has given their feedback on the bag. I will continue to incorporate new suggestions and strive to make the best disc golf bag on the market. Hope to see your name on the list!

- Levi Buckingham

As you can see, the basic design is quite similar to the original, but there are some new tricks as well as some revamped aspects.  As far as outright changes, the bag has been downsized a touch from its original behemoth status, though still retains an ample amount of storage.  It should be noted that the small outermost side pockets are only slightly different from the originals, and are subject to change only slightly from those pictured.  Regardless, they will excel at holding cell phones, keys, snacks and the like and will be outfitted with waterproof zipper as seen here.  The umbrella slot on the side has been improved so as to sit higher over the head while wearing the bag with a deployed umbrella.  I am about 5’9″ and have over a foot of space over my head, so unless you’re over 6’9″ I think you’ll fit comfortably underneath any standard large sized umbrella.   Furthermore, the lid and putter rain fly (aka Darth Vader Mask) now roll up and Velcro closed at the top of the main opening of the bag as promised, and now cups front of the bag eliminating the need for the buckle at the bottom.  With the amount of pockets and shear storage space on the bag, as well as the desire to keep the price of the bag down, I have also eliminated the score card pocket promised in the previous article.  I seriously doubt you will notice.  I’ve included pictures of the finalized model so that you can see how the large side compartments compress , immensely slimming down the width of the bag.  Note that these contain waterproof zippers and you can compress these compartments all the way down or only partially, allowing for a variety of different size combinations.

The bag will initially come in 2 different colors:  the green and grey as pictured here and a multi-cam camouflage pattern (note this camouflage pattern is pictured on other packs on the website).  Color combinations will change periodically and will most likely include a digital camouflage as well as some brighter colors in the future.  The price will be right around $285, and like all the rest of our packs will include a lifetime warranty.  I will try to keep the blog as up to date as possible, and if you have any specific questions you can email me at levibuckingham@mysteryranch.com.  Thanks for the continued interest and patience – I can’t wait to get you rocking the Golf Mahal!

See the packs at www.maidennoir.com.

Saturday June 20th 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Mystery Ranch Parking Lot is located in Bozeman Montana.

The Address is:
34156 E. Frontage Rd.
Bozeman MT 59715

50%-70% off. Hundreds of packs to sell. Hourly Give Aways, Free Hotdogs.

One of a kind Dana built prototypes and Mystery Ranch U.S.A Built 2nd’s will also be sold.

The best discounts will be available on CBMR packs and frames.

Here’s an example….. our Foliage CBMR Orion’s will be selling for $215.00….. and we have close to 50 total. These will go fast.

I’m sorry if you can’t attend!!!  This sale is limited to packs sold in person from the sales event. I suggest calling a friend in Montana if you can’t make it!!! Sale is limited to stock on hand. Saturday only. All purchases are final, no returns no exchanges.

See you there!!!

“Wow, I made this pack.” That was the thought in my head as I worked to carry sixty plus pounds at fifteen thousand feet on Aconcagua. South America’s highest peak is located in Argentina along the spine of the rugged Andes mountain range. At 22,849 feet, it is the highest point outside of the Himalaya in Asia. Our route is called the “False Polish” traverse. There are three camps above base camp and we will spend a total of 16 days on the mountain. We will shuttle our gear and supplies up the mountain in alternating carries and moves. This is what mountaineers call “capsule style” climbing. We carried everything up and down the mountain ourselves as a self supported climbing team. I knew what was involved in climbing Aconcagua because I had been there the previous winter. Before I left for Argentina this time, I built a stripped down version of the Mystery Ranch G6000. I wanted a pack that carried as well as the G-series but I wanted to make it as light as possible. It all seemed like a blur. Building the pack, planning the trip, organizing the gear, buying the food, and getting myself and two other climbers to the mountain. Then I was loading the pack up with gear to go up the mountain. “Wow, I built this pack.” During the expedition I had time to reflect on the trust I was putting in my craftsmanship. I thought about the course building a pack takes. Starting out as raw materials in a basket, all the pieces being sewn together, then inspected and shipped. Ski patrollers, fire fighting crews, climbers, hunters, and soldiers are some of the people who use our packs. All of them will rely on the work we do in Bozeman, in much the same way I was relying on my own work on Aconcagua. It was gratifying to feel how our attention to detail and craftsmanship would make a difference to the people using Mystery Ranch gear.